Buckling Up Still Priority

Efforts to upgrade seat belt laws in Mississippi have come to a screeching halt, at least for this session of the Legislature.

Recently, proposals to make not wearing a seat belt a primary violation died in legislative committees.

Law enforcement officials say this is a big mistake.

"Mississippi is one of the leading states with highway fatalities and we feel like if there's a primary law, as far as education enforcement, that it will save lives," said Sgt. Ronnie Carter of the Mississippi Highway Patrol.

Currently, not wearing a seat belt is a secondary violation. That means that you must first be stopped for a primary violation such as drunk driving or speeding before you could be ticketed for a safety belt violation.

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